–=[ The Gap Band ]=–

The Gap Band - Magicians Holiday [Rare][1974]

Rare Link 2

Growing up with a Pentecostal minister father, the Wilson brothers formed the Greenwood, Archer, and Pine Street Band in 1967, with Tuck Andress (later of Tuck and Patti). The name was chosen to honor the tragic but affirming memory of the streets (Greenwood Ave., Archer St., Pine St.) that formed the African American business district of Tulsa, Oklahoma also called Black Wall Street. The Greenwood district was the site of one of the most violent racially motivated attacks in United States history. The complete destruction of the community was the result of the Tulsa Race Riot.

The band released their first record with Ernie Faust on lead vocals on an indie label in 1974. At the time, the group had up to twelve musicians, including drummer Roscoe Smith. Condensing to the three brothers and with producers Leon Russell and Buddy Jones at the helm. Buddy goes for a mellow funk recalling Billy Preston's early 70s hits ("Backbone" sounds uncannily like "Nothing From Nothing") crossed with Tower Of Power's brass-fueled soul (thanks to horn players Tommy Lokey and Chris Clayton). "Fontessa Fame," though, is a direct copy of Sly Stone's "The Asphalt Jungle (Africa Talks To You)," right down to the metronomic percussion - maybe all the critics praising the reissue of Shuggie Otis's similarly unimaginative Information Inspiration will someday rediscover this one too. Lokey wrote a couple of tunes ("I-Yike-It"); the rest were co-written by Jones and one Wilson or another. Wayne Perkins plays the continuous loud guitar solo on "Bad Girl."

The Best of the Gap Band [1994]

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Now that it's become mainstream, there's a lot of quality R&B around, but it's not until you go back and listen to veterans like the Gap Band that you realize what modern soul is often missing: raw funk. This collection includes some of the funkiest and smoothest tracks you'll ever hear. In fact, even if you've never heard old-school soul, you'll be familiar with the riffs and bass lines: they're the type of classics today's producers reference in almost every great party jam. Tracks like "Early in the Morning" and "Outstanding" are just ripe for sampling, and "Shake" and "Burn Rubber" throw you back in time, grooving on a dance floor and bobbin' your head. The adrenaline only slows for superslick ballads like "Yearning for Your Love." A blueprint for today's R&B.